This invention relates to a jet-propelled projectile, and particularly to a spherical spin-stablized missile.
It has become increasingly important to eliminate the undesirable features associated with a ballistic trajectory ordinarily followed by rockets and other jet-propelled projectiles, by forming the projectiles as spherical spin-stabilized missiles. The spherical missile spins about an axis upwardly inclined relative to the intended straight line path of flight and aligned with the thrust axis of the propulsion jet of the missile. The missile is released following ignition or activation of the jet propellant within the missile. The propulsion is effected by the reaction of the exhaust jet of, for example, a rocket motor housed within the spherical missile shell.
Such conventional missile systems generally include a separate rocket motor having its own propellant material and a separate payload of explosive material, both of which form a system within the missile shell. The rocket motor propellant grain is separated from the payload explosive within the missile shell, the rocket propellant being effective to drive gases through an exhaust nozzle of the missile during initial spinup and flight of the missile, and the payload explosive being effective to detonate the missile upon impact thereof responsive to an impact fuze means on the missile shell.
The present invention is directed to providing a new and improved jet-propelled missile of the character described wherein the separate rocket propellant grain and the separate payload explosive are combined in a single explosive compound which involves a normal rocket motor ignition procedure followed by propellant burn of the single explosive compound to the target, and detonation of the remaining explosive compound by the fuze on target contact.
The invention, therefore, significantly reduces the missile cost and the overall weight of the missile by eliminating all of the parts required for the rocket motor. Assembly of the missile is greatly simplified with a single explosive loading operation versus the conventional loading of separate propellant and explosive materials. All of this is accomplished while still delivering the same amount of explosive material to the target as is possible with conventional systems.